Integral seat and leg support

ABSTRACT

A COMBINATION SEAT AND LEG SUPPORT WHICH IS PREFERABLY IN THE FORM OF AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BOARD HAVING A SEAT PORTION AND A LEG SUPPORTING PORTION EXTEND ING OUTWARD FROM ONE SIDE OF THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SEAT PORTION TO SUPPORT ONE LEG OF A PERSON SITTING ON THE SEAT PORTION WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE PERSON&#39;&#39;S OTHER LEG.

23, 1971 E. EISENHAUER 3,565,485

INTEGRAL SEAT AND LEG SUPPORT' Filed Nov. 19, 1968 INVENTOR ZA /6,4 [i f/Jf/VAMUf/Q BY @m /w WWW ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,565,485 INTEGRAL SEAT AND LEG SUPPORT Leigh E. Eisenhauer, 3 Warren Road, Van Wert, Ohio 45891 Filed Nov. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 776,917 Int. Cl. A47c 1/037 US. Cl. 297-433 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination seat and leg support which is preferably in the form of an elongated substantially flat board having a seat portion and a leg supporting portion extend-. ing outwrd from one side of the front edge of the seat portion to support one leg of a person sitting on the seat portion without interfering with the persons other leg.

SUMMARY OF 'THE INVENTION One object of this invention is to provide a combination seat and leg support for supporting one leg of a person in an outright position when the person is seated.

Another object is to provide a combination seat and leg support which will automatically raise one leg when the person sits down.

Another object is to provide a combination seat and leg support comprising an elongated member having a seat portion and a leg supporting portion extending outward from the front edge of the seat portion, the member being adapted to fulcrum adjacent the front edge of its seat portion about an edge of a supporting structure from a downwardly sloping position in which the end of the leg supporting portion engages the floor to a generally horizontal leg supporting position thus automatically raising one leg when the person sits down.

Another object is to provide a combination seat and leg support wherein the leg supporting portion is narrower than the seat portion and disposed near one side edge of the seat portion in order not to interfere with the persons other leg.

Another object is to provide a combination seat and leg support which is in the form of an elongated substantially flat board of integral one-piece construction.

Another object is to provide a combination seat and leg support having means on one or both sides thereof to facilitate the fulcruming action.

Another object is to provide a combination seat and leg support having .a hole through the seat portion for use in connection with a toilet.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination seat and leg support constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the same disposed in an inclined position against an edge of a supporting frame placed over a toilet.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the combination seat and leg support shown with a chair in a position ready for use in solid lines and substantially horizontal in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the structure of FIG. 2 showing a person about to use the combination seat and leg support.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but shows the person fully seated.

The combination seat and leg support of my invention is particularly intended for home and hospital use by persons who are required for one reason or another to keep one leg straight at all times, such for example 3,565,485 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 as persons recovering from knee surgery or having a leg in a cast from hip to ankle.

The combination seat and leg support is generally indicated at 10 in the drawing and comprises an elongated substantially fiat board of integral one-piece construction having coplanar seat and leg supporting portions 12 and 14. The board may be of any suitable material 'sufliciently strong to support the leg of a person when seated, such for example as wood, metal or plastic.

The seat portion 12 is shown as being substantially rectangular in form but obviously may be round or any other shape. The leg supporting portion 14 is an integral extension of the seat, and as shown extends forwardly from one-half of the front edge of the seat portion. The leg supporting portion 14 is narrower than the seat and in the particular embodiment shown is about one-half the width of the seat. The leg supporting portion 14 has one of its longitudinal edges substantially forming a continuation of one side edge of the seat portion and the other of its longitudinal edges is disposed substantially in continuation of the longitudinal center line of the seat. Thus onehalf of the front edge of the seat is unobstructed so as not to interfere with the other leg of the person when he sits down. The length of the leg supporting portion should preferably be as long as or slightly longer than the leg of the person to be supported so as to provide a full leg support.

The combination seat and leg support has transversely aligned ribs 18 on one side and transversely aligned ribs 20 on the other side, located on the seat portion 12 adjacent to the front edge thereof. The ribs on one side of the support are intended to engage the edge of a support structure with which the board is to be used to facilitate the fulcruming action when the person sits down. The ribs on each side of the support are separated so that the ribs not in use on the upper side of the support will be spaced to the sides of the person sitting down.

In use, the combination seat and leg support 10 will be propped up against the edge of a support structure, such as the frame 21 in FIG. 1 or the chair 22 in FIGS. 2-4. Referring to FIGS. 2-4, one set of the ribs 18, 20 engage the front edge 26 of the chair seat 27. The lower end of the leg supporting portion 14 engages the floor, and the seat portion 12 extends upwardly at an angle over the seat 27 of the chair. When the person wishes to sit down he will stand in front of the inclined board 10 with the leg he desires to keep straight in front of the leg supporting portion 14 of the board. When he sits down he may grasp the arms 28 of the chair as shown. The weight of his body on the seat portion 12 will automatically cause the board to fulcrum about the ribs 18 or 20 thus automatically raising one leg to a generally horizontal position. The knee is not required to bend at all during this action, and the raising of the leg to horizontal position is automatic and requires no assistance from any other person.

To rise from the chair, the person will normally grasp the arms 28 because he will in most instances need to use his own arms to assist in raising his body. Then as his weight is lifted from the seat, the elevated leg will cause the board to return to the inclined position shown in FIG. 3.

The board in no way interferes with the other leg of the person during the time that he seats himself or rises. It will be obvious that by merely turning the board over it may be used as a support for the other leg.

As shown, the seat portion 12 preferably will have a hole 29 in it so that it can be used with a toilet just as readily as with a chair. However, the hole in the seat portion does not prevent the board from ordinary use with a chair.

FIG. 1 shows the board in position for use with a toilet 30. Ordinarily a person requiring the use of the board to support his leg will also need arm rests to assist him in raising and lowering his body. Hence the movable frame 21 is employed. This frame has the four uprights 34, 36, 38 and 40 which are adapted to rest on the floor at opposite sides of the toilet, and the arm rests 42 at the top. The frame has a transverse horizontal bar 44 at the front between uprights 34 and 36 about which the board fulerums in the same way it fulcrums about edge 26 in FIG. 2. The bar 44 is at about the level of the toilet seat 46.

In the event that both legs of the person need to be supported, two boards of identical construction may simultaneously be used back to back, that is the second board will overlie the first with the seat portions in register, or overlying relation, but the second board will be turned over so that its leg supporting portion will not overlie the leg supporting portion of the first board but rather will extend alongside of it to support the other leg of the person.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A combination seat and leg support for use with a chair, bed or like support structure, comprising an elongated member having a seat portion at one end, and a leg supporting portion rigid with and extending outward from the front edge of said seat portion, said leg supporting portion being narrower than said seat portion and disposed near one side edge of said seat portion to support outright one leg of a person sitting on said seat portion while not interfering with the persons other leg, said elongated member being adapted to fulcrum at an intermediate point in its length about an edge of said support structure from a downwardly sloping position in which the end of said leg supporting portion engages the floor to a generally horizontal leg supporting position in which said seat portion rests upon said support structure, whereby to automatically raise one leg when the person sits down.

2, The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated member is of an integral one-piece construction.

3. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated member has means on one side adjacent the front edge of said seat portion to facilitate the aforesaid fulcruming action.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said seat portion has a hole therethrough for use in connection with a toilet.

5. A combination seat and leg support comprising an elongated substantially fiat board of integral, one-piece construction having coplanar seat and leg supporting portions, said leg supporting portion being rigid with and extending outward from the front edge of said seat portion, said leg supporting portion being about one-half the width of said seat portion and being substantially entirely disposed at one side of the longitudinal center line of said seat portion to support outright one leg of a person sitting on said seat portion while not interfering with the persons other leg, said board being adapted to fulcrum adjacent the front edge of said seat portion about an edge of a supporting structure from a downwardly sloping position in which the end of said leg supporting portion engages the floor to a generally horizontal leg supporting position to automatically raise one leg when the person sits down.

6. The combination defined in claim 5, wherein said board has transverse ridge forming means on both sides thereof adjacent the front edge of said seat portion to facilitate the aforesaid fulcruming action.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, wherein said seat portion has a hole therethrough for use in connection with a toilet.

8. The combination defined in claim 5, including a second board of substantially the same construction as the first-mentioned board, said second board overlying said first-mentioned board in substantially surface-to-surface relation with the seat portion of said second board overlying the seat portion of said first-mentioned board, but said second board being inverted with respect to said firstmentioned board so that the leg supporting portion of said second board is disposed alongside the leg supporting portion of said first-mentioned board to support the other leg of the person sitting down.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,609,864 9/1952 Gates, Jr. 29743O 2,826,242 3/1958 Thompson 297-433X 3,259,427 7/1966 Wiest 297183 3,224,016 12/1965 Anderson et al. 5-90X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 297-483, 423, 438 

